WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.359 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're charting 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:06.320 the path of Jonah Ray Rodriguez. You probably 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:08.960 know him, actor, comedian, writer, musician. 00:00:09.460 --> 00:00:10.919 Yeah, his work's kind of everywhere, isn't it? 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:13.800 From stand -up stages to, well, cult TV shows 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:17.539 and even deep -cut punk podcasts. Exactly. And 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:19.460 what we're digging into today isn't just like 00:00:19.460 --> 00:00:21.879 a list of credits. We're looking at how deliberate 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:23.820 it all seems. It feels like a real strategy. 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.420 You know, fusing that indie hustle with some 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:29.989 pretty big collaborations. That's the mission, 00:00:30.070 --> 00:00:32.070 right? We've got the source material and we want 00:00:32.070 --> 00:00:34.149 to unpack it to show how we actually pulled off 00:00:34.149 --> 00:00:36.929 this like decades long shift. I mean, moving 00:00:36.929 --> 00:00:39.770 from Hawaii, grinding it out in the L .A. comedy 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:42.289 scene. Which is notoriously tough. Oh, absolutely. 00:00:42.570 --> 00:00:44.729 And ending up hosting, I mean, hosting the revival 00:00:44.729 --> 00:00:47.320 of Mystery Science Theater 3000. That's quite 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.740 a leap. It really is. So, OK, let's break down 00:00:49.740 --> 00:00:51.560 this trajectory. We're going to focus on maybe 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:54.119 three key things that really defined his success. 00:00:54.340 --> 00:00:57.079 OK. First, that big jump moving from being this 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.899 dedicated punk rock guy to focusing hard on comedy. 00:01:00.619 --> 00:01:02.820 That's a risk, right? For sure. A total identity 00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.540 shift almost. Then second, how important those 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:07.819 collaborations were in L .A., especially like 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:10.659 podcasts and the live comedy stuff, building 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.099 audiences completely outside the old network 00:01:13.099 --> 00:01:16.079 system. The power of community there. And finally, 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.180 how that punk rock DIY thing he started with, 00:01:19.260 --> 00:01:21.219 how that actually prepared him for how things 00:01:21.219 --> 00:01:23.840 work now, you know, using Kickstarter, independent 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:26.599 funding to keep these big legacy shows going. 00:01:26.780 --> 00:01:28.920 It's almost like learning to book a punk tour 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:33.620 was perfect training for hosting a show set in 00:01:33.620 --> 00:01:36.239 space with robots. Weirdly, yeah. Okay, let's 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.090 start at the beginning. Hawaii. So. To really 00:01:39.090 --> 00:01:41.269 get the guy who pilots the satellite of love, 00:01:41.370 --> 00:01:44.290 you've got to go back. Jonah Ray Rodriguez, born 00:01:44.290 --> 00:01:48.849 August 3rd, 1982, Kailua, Hawaii, on Oahu. Right. 00:01:48.909 --> 00:01:51.530 So he's, what, 43 in our timeline now? And the 00:01:51.530 --> 00:01:53.670 interesting thing, looking at the sources, is 00:01:53.670 --> 00:01:55.829 where his energy went early on. Yeah, it wasn't 00:01:55.829 --> 00:01:58.090 comedy clubs. No, not at all. It was music. Deep 00:01:58.090 --> 00:02:00.810 into the local Hawaii rock and specifically the 00:02:00.810 --> 00:02:03.049 punk scene. And that's super important, I think. 00:02:03.150 --> 00:02:05.730 Why is that? Well, OK, maybe he wasn't writing 00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:08.009 jokes yet, but think about what he was learning. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.460 Being on stage, dealing with crowds, working 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:14.300 with a band that's all performance. Right. Improvising, 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.520 collaborating. Exactly. And crucially, that whole 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:21.219 DIY culture. Booking shows, making flyers. You 00:02:21.219 --> 00:02:23.419 know, the whole punk ethos of just doing it yourself. 00:02:23.780 --> 00:02:26.419 That really sticks with him. Okay. Yeah, I can 00:02:26.419 --> 00:02:29.060 see that. The self -starter thing. So those skills 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:31.300 are there, even if they're aimed at music first. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.979 But then, the big change, he moves. He moves 00:02:34.979 --> 00:02:37.629 to Los Angeles. Yeah. And the plan, initially 00:02:37.629 --> 00:02:39.990 at least, was still punk rock. Keep the band 00:02:39.990 --> 00:02:43.169 dream alive. But L .A. has other distractions. 00:02:43.469 --> 00:02:45.229 You could say that. The comedy scene there is 00:02:45.229 --> 00:02:48.469 just massive. And it seems like gradually his 00:02:48.469 --> 00:02:50.889 focus started to shift. He began channeling that 00:02:50.889 --> 00:02:53.409 same energy, that same commitment into writing 00:02:53.409 --> 00:02:55.629 and performing comedy instead. So it wasn't like 00:02:55.629 --> 00:02:58.240 an overnight switch. More of a slow pivot. Yeah, 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:00.400 exactly. Investing in a whole new kind of performance, 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:02.099 a different scene. And where did he plug into 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:04.699 that scene? The key place seems to be the Upright 00:03:04.699 --> 00:03:08.120 Citizens Brigade Theater, UCB in L .A. Which, 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:10.280 we should probably clarify for people, wasn't 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:13.960 just any comedy club back then. No way. UCB was 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:16.800 the place. Yeah. Super competitive, yeah. But 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:20.039 also this incredible incubator for talent, for 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:22.759 writing, for performing, and maybe most importantly 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:24.860 for networking. Right. That's where everyone 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:27.479 met. Everyone. Totally. He becomes a regular 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:30.060 performer there, doing stand -up, doing sketches. 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:32.840 He's building his chops, but he's also building 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:35.159 his community. These are the people he'd end 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:38.060 up working with on huge projects later. And you 00:03:38.060 --> 00:03:40.039 see that pay off pretty quickly, right? In terms 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:42.939 of getting actual screen credits. Yeah. The sources 00:03:42.939 --> 00:03:46.139 show him popping up fairly early on. Shows like 00:03:46.139 --> 00:03:48.800 Cross Balls, that satirical news thing. Oh yeah, 00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:51.000 I remember that. And the Sarah Silverman program 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:55.490 appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Even Saul the 00:03:55.490 --> 00:03:58.210 Mole Man. So, not just stage time. He's breaking 00:03:58.210 --> 00:04:00.289 into the professional side almost immediately. 00:04:00.669 --> 00:04:03.590 It looks like it. That punk energy from Arai 00:04:03.590 --> 00:04:07.189 is now fueling this, like, L .A. comedy hustle. 00:04:07.370 --> 00:04:10.030 He's in the system. Hatch, hatch, hatch, hatch, 00:04:10.069 --> 00:04:13.759 two. The writing room grind and early TV exposure. 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:17.079 So, okay, he's got the UCB stage cred. He's performing. 00:04:17.339 --> 00:04:20.279 But the next phase, you really see him digging 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:22.600 into the grind of the TV writer's room. That's 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.139 where you learn the craft, you know, the discipline. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.060 The sheer volume of joke writing. Oh, yeah. Under 00:04:28.060 --> 00:04:31.040 pressure, on deadline. And his first proper step, 00:04:31.220 --> 00:04:33.279 according to the material, was as a writer's 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:35.699 assistant on the Andy Malonakis show. Which is 00:04:35.699 --> 00:04:37.439 often that first foot in the door, right? You're 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.740 doing admin, maybe getting coffee, but you're 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:41.480 in the room. You're absorbing everything, how 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:43.740 jokes are structured, how stories break, the 00:04:43.740 --> 00:04:45.939 whole rhythm of TV production. But he wasn't 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:48.100 just doing admin, was he? No, it seems like he 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:49.920 was juggling things right away. He was also writing 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.839 and performing on this Showtime sketch pilot 00:04:52.839 --> 00:04:55.100 called The Offensive Show. So writer, performer, 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:57.060 assistant doing it all at once. That's intense. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.319 Yeah, definitely wearing multiple hats from the 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:02.980 get -go. And this period, like roughly 2009 to 00:05:02.980 --> 00:05:08.519 2012. We're calling it the News Web Soup Cycle. 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.220 Why that name? Well, because it's this really 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:13.399 foundational time where he's doing a lot of behind 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.139 -the -scenes writing, mostly for shows that rift 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:19.040 on news or Internet culture. It's honing that 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:21.980 rapid -fire topical humor skill. Which you absolutely 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:24.360 need for something like, say, riffing on bad 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:26.959 movies later on. Precisely. Look at the sequence. 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:30.680 First, he's writing and doing some voices for 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:33.879 Super News on current TV. Very topical, fast 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:36.819 turnaround. Then he moves over to G4, writing 00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:40.019 for WebSoup. Again, internet culture, quick jokes. 00:05:40.459 --> 00:05:43.899 And then, the big step up. writing for E!'s main 00:05:43.899 --> 00:05:46.600 satire show, The Soup. Which was a huge deal 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:48.459 at the time. Super competitive writer's room. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:50.240 Absolutely. You're talking about generating tons 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:53.000 of jokes every single day about often really 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:56.000 silly, fleeting pop culture moments. It's like 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.839 joke writing boot camp. That muscle memory is 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:00.860 crucial for what comes later. But then he leaves. 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:03.879 In 2012. Yeah, and this seems like a really significant 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.120 moment. He walks away from the soup. That's not 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:07.939 just changing jobs. That feels like a strategic 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:11.240 choice. Leaving a stable, high -profile network 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:13.879 gig. To move towards more independent stuff. 00:06:14.180 --> 00:06:16.720 Yeah, that sounds risky. Especially back in 2012. 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:19.600 Podcasting wasn't exactly paying the bills for 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.399 everyone yet. Web series were still kind of volatile. 00:06:22.660 --> 00:06:25.060 Definitely risky. But it suggests he was willing 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:28.040 to trade that security for more control, more 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:31.199 independence, which, again, echoes that DIY punk 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:33.740 thing, right? True. So where does that independence 00:06:33.740 --> 00:06:36.779 lead him first? Back to hosting, actually, but 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:40.240 in the digital space. He hosted Joe Genius, which 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.680 was an online show for Revision 3. Revision 3, 00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:44.879 yeah. They were one of those early players in 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:47.279 online video, doing lots of neat stuff. techie 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:50.259 gamer focused stuff exactly and Joe genius was 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:53.720 focused on like humor and DIY science experiment 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:57.040 okay wait humor and science that sounds oddly 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:00.100 specific it is yeah but think about it it means 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:02.579 he had to be funny engaging and articulate about 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:05.370 sometimes complex or technical stuff He had to 00:07:05.370 --> 00:07:07.610 sound curious and smart while still landing jokes. 00:07:07.829 --> 00:07:10.350 That sounds a lot like the skill set you'd need 00:07:10.350 --> 00:07:13.410 for MST3K, riffing on sci -fi tropes and cheesy 00:07:13.410 --> 00:07:15.509 effects. Doesn't it? It feels like accidental 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:17.829 perfect training, learning to riff on detailed 00:07:17.829 --> 00:07:20.310 nerdy material. And he was doing other independent 00:07:20.310 --> 00:07:22.589 stuff too, right? Not just that hosting gig. 00:07:22.790 --> 00:07:24.850 Yeah, the hustle continued. He launched his own 00:07:24.850 --> 00:07:27.050 web series, The Freeloader's Guide to Easy Living 00:07:27.050 --> 00:07:30.439 with Jonah Ray. And he was creating videos for 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:33.459 Super Deluxe, especially from places like South 00:07:33.459 --> 00:07:36.399 by Southwest. So mastering that online comedy 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.920 language, fast, shareable, community focused, 00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:43.279 building his own platforms. Yeah. So the early 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.439 2010s. It's not just about him doing his own 00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:49.459 web stuff. It's really about collaboration, building 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:51.220 platforms together. And you can't talk about 00:07:51.220 --> 00:07:52.639 that without talking about the whole Nerdist 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.620 thing. Oh, absolutely. The Nerdist phenomenon 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:57.420 was huge. Yeah. And Jonah Ray wasn't just like 00:07:57.420 --> 00:07:59.740 an occasional guest. He was one of the main co 00:07:59.740 --> 00:08:02.379 -hosts with Chris Hardwick. On the podcast, on 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:04.899 the TV show. That platform was massive back then. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:07.500 It gave him this direct line to a huge, super 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:09.620 engaged audience. Exactly the audience you'd 00:08:09.620 --> 00:08:11.379 want, right? People interested in comedy, geek 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:14.360 culture, niche topics. It really cemented his 00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:17.439 public image as this funny, knowledgeable guy 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:19.569 who was part of that whole scene. How did he 00:08:19.569 --> 00:08:22.730 balance that, though, being a key figure on this 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:25.709 increasingly big, almost mainstream platform 00:08:25.709 --> 00:08:29.910 like Nerdist while still keeping his like indie 00:08:29.910 --> 00:08:32.870 punk cred? That's a good question. I think it 00:08:32.870 --> 00:08:35.429 speaks to authenticity. Maybe he seemed genuinely 00:08:35.429 --> 00:08:37.409 into both worlds. He wasn't just playing a part. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:39.840 And we also see him trying to launch his own 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:42.120 stuff around this time, even if it didn't always 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:45.000 fly initially, like Jonah's arcade. Right. That 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.960 was a pilot he created and starred in focused 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:50.740 on video games and comedy. Comedy Central didn't 00:08:50.740 --> 00:08:53.240 pick it up, which, you know, happens all the 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:54.720 time in L .A. We know this because he mentioned 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:57.679 it on the podcast back in, like, February 2011. 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:00.200 Standard Hollywood setback. But here's the key 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:03.210 part. He didn't just let it disappear. He got 00:09:03.210 --> 00:09:05.370 the same production team he knew from Web Soup, 00:09:05.509 --> 00:09:07.909 and they released it on YouTube themselves. Ah, 00:09:08.250 --> 00:09:11.029 taking control. The DIY thing again. Exactly. 00:09:11.029 --> 00:09:12.990 If the front door is closed, find another way 00:09:12.990 --> 00:09:14.929 to get your stuff out there. Self -distribution. 00:09:14.950 --> 00:09:17.049 Don't wait for permission. Okay, so Nerdist gave 00:09:17.049 --> 00:09:20.509 him huge visibility. But the real game changer, 00:09:20.629 --> 00:09:22.450 the thing that really put him on the map for 00:09:22.450 --> 00:09:25.330 a mainstream comedy audience, that has to be 00:09:25.330 --> 00:09:28.899 the meltdown, right? With Kumail Nanjiani. Absolutely. 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.100 The meltdown was pivotal. Yeah. And it started 00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:33.919 small, relatively speaking, as a live weekly 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:37.080 comedy show. Held where? At Meltdown Comics in 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.840 Los Angeles, which wasn't just a comic book store. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:43.059 It was this iconic hub, a physical center for 00:09:43.059 --> 00:09:46.299 that whole geek culture comedy scene overlap. 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:48.679 So hosting a show there meant you were plugged 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:51.129 right into the heart of that community. building 00:09:51.129 --> 00:09:53.590 a super dedicated local following. Definitely. 00:09:53.629 --> 00:09:56.269 Pure grassroots. And it was built on those connections, 00:09:56.529 --> 00:09:59.809 UCB, podcasts, the whole L .A. comedy network. 00:10:00.029 --> 00:10:01.710 And the team behind it was solid, too. Yeah, 00:10:01.730 --> 00:10:04.289 it was Jonah co -hosting with Kumail Anjiani 00:10:04.289 --> 00:10:06.690 and Kumail's wife, Emily V. Gordon, was producing. 00:10:06.950 --> 00:10:10.629 That core team, Jonah, Kumail, Emily, they really 00:10:10.629 --> 00:10:13.870 knew how to put on... a great live show consistently 00:10:13.870 --> 00:10:16.269 they understood the logistics not just the joke 00:10:16.269 --> 00:10:18.009 right they built something that felt authentic 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:20.470 but was also really well run and that combination 00:10:20.470 --> 00:10:23.490 well it got noticed comedy central noticed yep 00:10:23.490 --> 00:10:27.570 late june 2013 they green lit the tv version 00:10:27.570 --> 00:10:31.029 the meltdown with jonah and kumail so that's 00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:33.769 the moment the indie live scene built on friendships 00:10:33.769 --> 00:10:36.210 and community breaks through onto major cable 00:10:36.210 --> 00:10:39.730 tv validated by its own success and it worked 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:42.639 The show debuted in July 2014, ran for three 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.299 solid seasons, ending in 2016. That's a good 00:10:45.299 --> 00:10:47.720 run. Gave him serious network hosting experience, 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.120 curating talent. And the timing is interesting 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:52.399 too, right? It wraps up just around the time 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:55.799 the MST3K hosting gig gets announced. It feels 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:57.720 like the perfect lead -in. That collaborative 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:00.059 phase set him up perfectly for stepping into 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:02.879 a big solo hosting role. Okay, so he's got Nerdist, 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.960 he's got the meltdown on Comedy Central. Things 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:08.379 are clearly taking off in the comedy world. But 00:11:08.379 --> 00:11:10.100 what's really interesting about Ray is that he 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:12.320 doesn't seem to, like, leave his roots behind. 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:14.679 Not at all. He's actively tending to them, even 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:16.879 as his comedy career is blowing up. And the prime 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:18.860 example of this is the whole Jonah Radio era. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.399 Right, his own podcast. Yeah, launched in October 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:24.720 2012. Now, think about that timing. He's just 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.340 left the soup. The Meltdown TV show is about 00:11:27.340 --> 00:11:30.279 to happen. Nerdist is massive. He could have 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:32.539 just focused on those big comedy platforms. But 00:11:32.539 --> 00:11:35.379 instead, he starts a podcast specifically dedicated 00:11:35.379 --> 00:11:38.700 to independent music featuring guests from punk 00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:41.899 bands, indie rock scenes. It's like his anchor 00:11:41.899 --> 00:11:44.799 back to that first identity. So it wasn't just 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.379 a comedy chat show. It was specifically about 00:11:47.379 --> 00:11:50.279 music. Very much so. The sources mentioned guests 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:53.460 like Man Man, Andrew Jackson, Jihad, Pup. Harmar 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:56.139 superstar. These are not mainstream pop acts. 00:11:56.299 --> 00:11:58.200 He's keeping that connection to the indie and 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:00.740 punk world alive and very public. Maintaining 00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:03.419 that authenticity we talked about. Exactly. And 00:12:03.419 --> 00:12:05.000 he takes it a step further. He doesn't just talk 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:06.679 about indie music. He actually gets involved 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:09.659 in the business side. How so? On a 2014 episode 00:12:09.659 --> 00:12:12.299 of Jonah Radio, he announces he's launching his 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:15.179 own record label. Literally, figurative records. 00:12:15.779 --> 00:12:18.340 Partnering with ATS, which is Special Thing Records. 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:20.740 Wow, a record label. What was the idea behind 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:22.700 it? This is where it gets really cool, I think. 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:26.460 The concept was to be a comedy and music label. 00:12:26.980 --> 00:12:30.549 The plan was to release splits. You know, like 00:12:30.549 --> 00:12:33.029 a seven inch record. Yeah. Classic punk format. 00:12:33.049 --> 00:12:35.690 Right. With a comic on one side and a band they're 00:12:35.690 --> 00:12:37.730 friends with on the other. OK, that's a perfect 00:12:37.730 --> 00:12:40.129 synthesis, isn't it? Directly combining his two 00:12:40.129 --> 00:12:43.509 worlds, formalizing that link between indie comedy 00:12:43.509 --> 00:12:45.950 and indie music. Totally. It's like bringing 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:47.970 his comedy network into the physical distribution 00:12:47.970 --> 00:12:51.610 world of indie music. Super DIY, leveraging his 00:12:51.610 --> 00:12:53.509 connections, operating outside the Hollywood 00:12:53.509 --> 00:12:56.500 system. Collaboration. But on his own terms. 00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:58.960 And speaking of physical releases, he put out 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:00.820 his own stand -up that way too, right? Separate 00:13:00.820 --> 00:13:02.860 from the TV stuff. Yeah, his first stand -up 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:05.279 release was actually way back in 2006. It was 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.919 a 7 -inch record called This Is Crazy Mixed Up 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:10.399 Plumbing, released on A Special Thing Records. 00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:13.120 Again with the 7 -inch vinyl. That choice feels 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.840 deliberate. It really does. It's embracing that 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:19.200 punk aesthetic for his comedy. Short, punchy, 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:21.899 collectible. Reinforces the connection. Then 00:13:21.899 --> 00:13:24.779 he had a second release later. Yep, in May 2012. 00:13:25.459 --> 00:13:28.779 Hello, Mr. Magic Plane person, hello. Came out 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:30.799 as he was leaving the soup and starting radio. 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.279 How was that one received? Ah, well, the sources 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:36.340 mentioned he got mixed reviews. Oh, interesting. 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:38.860 Why do you think that was? He's a known name 00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:41.299 by then. He's on Nerdist. It's hard to say for 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:44.460 sure, but maybe there's a tension there. Perhaps 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.399 the raw indie style of his stand -up didn't quite 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:49.620 match what critics expected from the guy they 00:13:49.620 --> 00:13:52.769 saw on TV. Or maybe the format, the physical 00:13:52.769 --> 00:13:55.570 record, just didn't connect with mainstream comedy 00:13:55.570 --> 00:13:58.590 reviewers used to digital albums or specials. 00:13:58.610 --> 00:14:00.870 So potentially a clash between his different 00:14:00.870 --> 00:14:03.710 identities or audiences. Could be. It shows the 00:14:03.710 --> 00:14:05.470 challenge of navigating those two worlds, right? 00:14:05.549 --> 00:14:07.669 You might not please the punk fans and the E! 00:14:07.730 --> 00:14:10.070 Network critics at the exact same time. And maybe 00:14:10.070 --> 00:14:11.929 he was fine with that. Okay, so we've traced 00:14:11.929 --> 00:14:15.100 all these threads. The punk DIY start. The UCB 00:14:15.100 --> 00:14:17.879 training, the writing room grind, the podcasting 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:20.259 and collaboration, boom, keeping the music connection 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:22.639 alive. It really feels like all of this was leading 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.720 somewhere specific. It really does. And that 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:28.259 somewhere specific turned out to be hosting Mystery 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:31.820 Science Theater 3000. Stepping into that role, 00:14:32.019 --> 00:14:34.360 it wasn't just like getting cast in any sitcom. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:38.039 This was different. How so? Well, first, the 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:42.039 announcement itself. November 16th. 2015. Joel 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:44.980 Hodgson, the creator, announces Jonah Ray is 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:47.799 the new host for the show's return. That immediately 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:49.759 puts him in this lineage, you know, following 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:52.519 Joel himself, then Mike Nelson. It's a big deal 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.620 for fans. A beloved, almost sacred cult show. 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.220 He's now Jonah Heston up in the satellite of 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:00.720 love. Right. But just as important as who was 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.600 hosting was how the show was coming back. It 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:05.480 wasn't a network deciding to reboot it in the 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:07.740 usual way. No, this was the Kickstarter campaign. 00:15:07.980 --> 00:15:10.440 Exactly. A massive, record -breaking Kickstarter 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:13.100 campaign. The entire revival was funded by the 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:15.139 fans. And this is where Ray's background seems 00:15:15.139 --> 00:15:17.679 perfectly suited, doesn't it? Absolutely. Think 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:19.580 about it. His whole career, from the punk scene 00:15:19.580 --> 00:15:22.399 to UCB to radio to Nerdist, was built on connecting 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.980 with niche, passionate communities. He knew how 00:15:24.980 --> 00:15:26.679 to speak their language. He was one of them. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:29.620 In many ways. So the fans funding it weren't 00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:32.299 just giving money to bring back a show. They 00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:35.419 were investing in that whole independent collaborative 00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:39.100 spirit that Ray himself represented. Having him 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:42.039 as the host felt like validation of that approach. 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:44.940 It bypassed the whole Hollywood gatekeeper system. 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.000 Yeah, the money came direct from the audience, 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:51.019 led by Joel. But having Jonah on board, it felt 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:53.100 like the right fit for that community driven 00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:55.240 model. And it worked incredibly well. They raised 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:57.360 a ton of money. And then the show actually got 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:00.080 made and distributed. Yep. The new seasons, seasons 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:02.860 11 and 12 with Jonah Heston, they landed on Netflix, 00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:06.820 premiered April 14, 2017. Which is kind of the 00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:08.980 perfect modern model, isn't it? How do you mean? 00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:12.039 Crowdfunded production, ensuring fan buy -in 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:14.220 and creative control, partnered with a major 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:17.259 streamer for global reach. Best of both worlds. 00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:19.779 And his role wasn't just a one -off, right? He 00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:22.620 stuck around. He did. Joel Hodgson ran another 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:25.919 successful Kickstarter in spring 2021 for season 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:29.080 13. And Jonah was confirmed to return. Confirmed 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:32.580 return as Jonah Heston. So he cemented his place. 00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:35.909 Think about that arc. From writer's assistant 00:16:35.909 --> 00:16:38.870 on Milan Anakis, writing jokes for Web Soup, 00:16:39.070 --> 00:16:41.990 mastering that timing, to becoming the face of 00:16:41.990 --> 00:16:44.830 this huge pop culture revival that literally 00:16:44.830 --> 00:16:47.830 depends on grassroots funding. Every step really 00:16:47.830 --> 00:16:50.649 did seem like preparation for this specific kind 00:16:50.649 --> 00:16:53.190 of unique responsibility. Hashtag, tag, tag, 00:16:53.230 --> 00:16:55.769 tag, horses, synthesis and personal life. So 00:16:55.769 --> 00:16:57.990 looking back at the whole picture, it's clear 00:16:57.990 --> 00:17:01.149 Ray hasn't just stuck to one thing. His career 00:17:01.149 --> 00:17:03.169 is all about mixing it up, different mediums, 00:17:03.169 --> 00:17:05.490 different genres. To really get it, you kind 00:17:05.490 --> 00:17:07.170 of need to see the breadth of his other work, 00:17:07.190 --> 00:17:09.309 too. Yeah, it's quite a list. Maybe instead of 00:17:09.309 --> 00:17:11.109 just rattling them off, we can group them a bit. 00:17:11.150 --> 00:17:13.490 Like, first, you see how comfortable he is in 00:17:13.490 --> 00:17:15.589 that quick -witted conversational comedy space. 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:19.119 shows and late night. Exactly. He pops up on 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.420 Conan, does Drunk History. He was on at midnight, 00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:23.920 even did Talking Dead regularly. It shows he 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:26.740 can handle that live, off -the -cuff, high -pressure 00:17:26.740 --> 00:17:29.039 comedy environment. He's fluent in it. Okay, 00:17:29.099 --> 00:17:31.940 what else? Then there's his film work. It leans 00:17:31.940 --> 00:17:35.680 pretty heavily into horror and cult movies, which 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:38.799 fits perfectly with the whole MST3K vibe. Makes 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:42.000 sense. What? Films like Mama's Boy, Victor Crowley, 00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:43.819 which is part of that Hatchet Slasher series. 00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:46.319 More recently, things like Christmas, Bloody 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:49.619 Christmas, and that anthology, Satanic Hispanics. 00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:52.940 So he's comfortable in those very specific genre 00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:55.880 fan communities. Seems like it. Underscores that 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:58.079 connection to niche audiences. And the music 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.039 connection keeps popping up too, right? Even 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:02.400 in small ways. Yeah, the sources mention him 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:04.660 appearing in a music video for the band Bayside 00:18:04.660 --> 00:18:07.400 for their song It Don't Exist. It's just another 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:10.240 little reminder. that music and collaborating 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:11.900 within that scene was always kind of humming 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:13.880 along in the background. Never fully went away. 00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:16.119 Nope. And maybe just quickly touch on the personal 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:18.900 side for context. Sure. The sources note he married 00:18:18.900 --> 00:18:23.059 Deanna Rooney back on April 27, 2013. They recently 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:25.319 had their 10 -year anniversary. And if you map 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:28.579 that onto his career timeline, 2013 is right 00:18:28.579 --> 00:18:30.539 before the meltdown gets picked up by Comedy 00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:33.359 Central and just after he launched Jonah Radio. 00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:35.779 Interesting time. Yeah, it's just this period 00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:38.559 of maybe... finding some personal stability right, 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.039 as his biggest collaborative projects were really 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.299 taking off. That kind of foundation probably 00:18:43.299 --> 00:18:45.900 helps when you're managing the stress of launching 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:47.880 your own stuff and stepping into bigger spotlights. 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:50.359 Okay, so let's try to synthesize this whole journey. 00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:53.079 What's the main takeaway? He starts in obscurity, 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:56.160 playing punk rock in Hawaii, moves to L .A., 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:59.460 grinds through UCB, learns the technical side 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:02.180 in writer's rooms like the soup, then pivots. 00:19:02.589 --> 00:19:04.849 Right. Pivots to building his own audience through 00:19:04.849 --> 00:19:07.849 things like Nerdist and Jonah Radio. Finds massive 00:19:07.849 --> 00:19:10.269 success collaborating on the Meltdown. And throughout 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:12.910 it all, keeps that independent, music -focused 00:19:12.910 --> 00:19:15.190 side project going. It's this blend of skills, 00:19:15.410 --> 00:19:17.150 technical writing, community building, indie 00:19:17.150 --> 00:19:19.250 cred, collaborative spirit. That positions him 00:19:19.250 --> 00:19:22.349 perfectly for the MST3K role. Exactly. It wasn't 00:19:22.349 --> 00:19:24.349 just about being funny. It was about finding 00:19:24.349 --> 00:19:27.190 someone who understood how to connect with, and 00:19:27.190 --> 00:19:30.309 crucially, sustain, a dedicated community outside 00:19:30.309 --> 00:19:33.160 the old studio system. He embodied the very model 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.859 the revival needed to succeed. It felt earned 00:19:35.859 --> 00:19:38.839 in a way. Hashtag tag tag outro, Kate. All right. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:42.119 Let's wrap up this deep dive. Key takeaways for 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.859 you listening. Jonah Ray's career. It's really 00:19:45.859 --> 00:19:47.839 a masterclass in how things work now, isn't it? 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:49.900 You need the synergy. You need the writing chops. 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:52.700 Yeah. But also the ability to collaborate effectively 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.640 and build your own thing independently. Podcasts, 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:58.259 crowdfunded TV. That's part of the toolkit now. 00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:00.200 And that leads to, I think, a really crucial 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:03.539 final point. His knack for shifting between writing 00:20:03.539 --> 00:20:06.019 for big structured network shows like The Soup 00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:08.180 and then turning around and creating his own 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:10.640 successful indie platforms like radio or The 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:14.579 Meltdown. That made him kind of bulletproof in 00:20:14.579 --> 00:20:16.460 a way. How do you mean? He wasn't waiting for 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:18.519 Hollywood to give him permission. He built his 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:21.660 audience directly. That independence, that proven 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:23.599 ability to connect with a fan base made him the 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.180 absolute perfect choice for a show like MST3K, 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:28.619 which had to prove itself directly to his audience 00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:31.279 through Kickstarter. It skipped the network execs 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.880 entirely. He was the embodiment of that new path. 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:36.180 Okay, so here's something to chew on, a final 00:20:36.180 --> 00:20:38.480 thought based on all this. We've talked a lot 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:41.420 about how he consistently blends music and comedy. 00:20:41.930 --> 00:20:44.410 And specifically about his record label idea, 00:20:44.650 --> 00:20:47.390 literally figurative records pairing comics and 00:20:47.390 --> 00:20:50.170 bands. Yeah, that synthesis concept. Right. So 00:20:50.170 --> 00:20:53.009 given his whole career has been about innovation 00:20:53.009 --> 00:20:56.339 and collaboration across these fields. What could 00:20:56.339 --> 00:20:59.319 be next? Is there some future media format that 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:01.380 takes that idea even further? Maybe some kind 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.819 of new digital platform or even a touring model 00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:06.359 that formally merges a live comedy show like 00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:08.640 The Meltdown with live band performances, really 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:10.599 crystallizing that intersection he's been working 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:12.619 at ever since he left Hawaii. What would that 00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:13.039 look like?